Psychological characteristics as the predictors of subjective well-being in future class and preschool teachers

Abstract

© 2018, Institute for Educational Research. All rights reserved. Psychological well-being is a significant determinant of mental health and success in profession of future class and preschool teachers. Hence, it is extremely important to investigate the individual factors that contribute to it. The aim of this research is to determine the contribution of personality traits, self-esteem and the locus of control in predicting the degree of subjective well-being in future class and preschool teachers. The sample included 418 students. The following instruments were used in the research: the Short Subjective Well-being Scale (KSB), the Big Five Plus Two questionnaire (VP+2), Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale and the Scale for Measuring the Locus of Control (LOK IM-2). The results indicate that all three investigated categories of individual factors significantly predict the affective (64% of variance explained) and cognitive component (51% of variance explained) of subjective well-being, whereby personality traits proved to be the most important predictors. Neuroticism and extraversion contribute most to positive affectivity (Нβ=-0,801; Еβ=-0,794) and a positive attitude towards life (Нβ=-0,701; Еβ=-0,736). The educational implications refer to the possibilities of encouraging and developing those individual personality traits that significantly contribute to subjective well-being of future class and preschool teachers. In this way, we can also contribute to their mental health, which is the necessary precondition of the accomplishment of educational work.